Speed Dial
by Hammers and Strings
Summary: What if speed dial rescue worked both ways? (JavaJunkie, set in early season three.)
1. Cell Phone and Friday Night Alone

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**Summary: What if speed dial rescue worked both ways (only early in season three)?**

Chapter One:

There were very few things in Lorelai Gilmore's life that were organized. Her house was a mess, her planner was scattered, but her cell phone, now that was another story. The 4-inch piece of technology was one of her lifelines (next to coffee, of course). It had the numbers of everyone she knew or would ever need to call, and the nine most important were kept in a sacred spot: on the speed dial.

Number one was her house, of course. 2 was Rory's cell. Number three was Sookie, and four was the Independence Inn. Numbers five and six, she reminded herself, were purely precautionary, and for emergencies only: Michel and her parents, respectively. She chuckled slightly to herself as she thought of the very appropriate number that you got if you added two more sixes to the end of her parents number.

Number seven made her stomach do a little flip: Luke. She sighed miserably as she thought of how little she had used button number seven since their huge blowout over what was now referred to as simply "the accident." She knew that she missed his (not just his coffee) but quickly drew her mind away from her destroyed friendship.

Numbers eight and nine were usually reserved for the (other) men in her life: boyfriends, at one point a fiancé. But now a lump rose in her throat as she recalled who currently claimed the number eight spot: Christopher. She had added him when things started to look up for them, together- when she thought there may finally be something more permanent. She had forgotten to erase the number that he shared now with his newly-pregnant girlfriend. She didn't want that reminder there any longer, and so, blinking back tears, she deleted the only hope she ever had of giving her daughter a "normal" life- tears not necessarily of a lost love, tears of disappointment in herself and regret that she had failed yet again.

The gnawing feeling in her stomach only intensified as her thoughts turned back to Luke. She missed him, she thought, a lot more than he seemed to be missing her. Not talking to him everyday was killing her, but as she saw it, he had gone on living life as normal. _Guess we weren't such great friends after all, _she thought. She wondered if he ever thought about her- if he longed to see her like she longed to march right into the diner and make things right. She wondered if he wanted things back to the way they used to be.

Lorelai clearly had a lot on her mind as she made her way home from a solo dinner at Al's Pancake World, whose cruddy food and innuendo-laden staff made her long for the diner food. _Wait, long for Luke?_ She questioned her internal monologue. After a while, she sighed. _Yes,_ she resigned herself. _Long._ She heaved another big sigh and wondered what she would do on her lonely Friday night. _When did I become such a loser? _She thought, as she stepped inside her empty house, not knowing how eventful her night would become.

A/N: I know the first chapter's a little dull. But bear with me, it's going somewhere I promise! R&R por favor!


	2. Talking to Washington

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**Summary: What if speed dial rescue worked both ways (only early in season three)?**

Chapter Two:

Lorelai sat on the couch. Had there been a gold medal awarded for multi-tasking, she would have won it, as she was talking to her daughter on the phone, watching a movie, eating a pint of ive cream, _and _painting her toenails. And boy, was she proud of it.

"So, do you think the beast was really that big? Or did they just use fancy camera angles and stuff?" Lorelai pondered the movie as she painted her big toe a dark shade of pink.

"Mom, I gotta say, we've had some pretty random conversations in the past but, what?"

"Sandlot, Rory! Geez, stay with me here!"

"You're right, sorry. I'm the crazy one…" Rory laughed to herself at her mother scattered brain.

"Damn right you are…"

"Mom!" Rory gasped.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry. You've probably spent so much time in Washington that you're too uptight for profanity now…" Lorelai sighed.

"No, mom I just meant that you and your baseball stealing giant dog related ramblings have taken us totally off topic here," Rory reminded her.

"Oh, right, sorry. What were we talking about again?" Lorelai had honestly forgotten.

Rory sighed, not liking where she knew this was going…"We were talking about dad."

Lorelei tried to play dumb. "Why were we talking about that? I have nothing to say."

"Yes you do mom, you know, you can't avoid him forever," Rory loved her mother, but sometimes she just didn't understand her.

"Sure I can! I'll do to him exactly what he did to us, just cut him out completely!" Lorelei added a big flourish at the end, which Rory obviously couldn't see.

"Mom, you know that won't work. Once this baby…" Rory ignored Lorelai's groan at the mention of the offspring. "…is born, I'm gonna see Dad a lot more. And you know that what is a part of my life is a part of yours too."

Lorelei sighed in surrender. She was tired of talking about Chris. She was tired of thinking about Chris. She was tired of dealing with the part of her life that had spun so wildly out of control in so little time. "Don't worry, hon. I'll figure something out okay? Don't worry about it."

Rory's tone of voice was that of genuine concern. She didn't want her mother to be broken-hearted, especially if she wasn't there to comfort her. "Mom, are you sure?"

But the wall had gone up already. "Yes. I'm positive. Now you go to sleep, and worry about Washington. I'll see you soon."

Rory knew talking was futile at this point. "Alright, goodnight Mom."

"Night sweets."

Lorelei sighed as she hung up the phone, picked up the carton of ice cream, and had just turned her attention back to the movie, when there came a knock at the front door. No, not knock, pounding was more like it. She paused the movie and made her way to the door. Who she saw when she opened it made her heart sink into her stomach and a gasp escape her throat.

**A/N: Sorry about the screw-up. Hope you liked the (full) chapter!**


	3. Jose, The Captain, and Chris

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelei knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**Summary: What if speed dial rescue worked both ways (only early in season three)?**

Chapter Three:

Previously: There came a furious knock on the door. She paused the movie and made her way to the front door. Who she saw when she opened it made her heart sink into her stomach and a gasp escape her throat.

"Christopher." She could barely get the words out as she stared in wonder at the man who was currently slumped in her doorframe, his eyes held a glazed over look of…_desire?_ The man who had all but abandoned her several times in the past. The man who, up until a week ago, she thought she might have some kind of future with.

"Lor…" Chirs stumbled into the house, a bottle in his hand. "…I really, I just, I _need_ to talk to you. You know? We need to talk," he slurred, almost incomprehensibly.

Lorelai was incredulous. "Chris are you drunk?"

He continued his drunken diatribe. " I just, you won't return my calls and, I want things back to how they were before…before…"

Now, Lorelai's incredulousness turned into pure rage and her eyes filled with tears. "Before you got your girlfriend pregnant, Chris? Before you backed yourself into a corner with promises to me and Rory that you had to go back on because you were stupid enough to bring another life into this world with a woman you claimed you were done with?"

Chris dropped his eyes for a second, but the level of alcohol in his bloodstream stopped all thought that would've prevented him from continuing. "Yes, but…"

"But? Christopher, there is no 'but' in this situation we've got going here! You and I have nothing to discuss…." And with this remark she physically turned him towards the door wich was still hanging open. "I think you should go."

Christopher advanced towards the door, took a couple steps that made her think that he was taking her advice and just leaving. Little did she know that inside his head, the wheels were turning. Not of his volition, mind you. No, Jose Cuervo and Captain Morgan were up there giving the wheels a hand, but they were turning none the less. And suddenly the thoughts of what they had once had between them (particularly the night before Sookie's wedding) and what could never be again were combined with the alcohol in his brain. And he got mad. Mad that he had screwed up his chances with her. Mad at himself. Mad at her for not wanting him. And so instead of leaving through the open door, he reached an arm out and slammed it shut.

Lorelai had been walking back into the living room when the bang made her jump. She turned around and gasped partly when she saw that Chris clearly wasn't leaving, but mostly when she saw the maniacal glint in his eye and the way he was looking at her, partially enraged and partially hungry.

"Christopher?" She breathed out of fear.

He growled his response, never once taking his eyes off of her. "I'm not going anywhere."


	4. Come On, Lucky Number Seven

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelei knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**P.P.S Thanks to all who pointed out my uploading mistake in chapter two. The full chapter is up now; I hope it makes a little more sense now. Thanks for all my wonderful reviews!**

_Previously: "Christopher?" She breathed out of fear._

_He growled his response, never once taking his eyes off of her. "I'm not going anywhere."_

Lorelei gulped down the fear that was slowly rising, most of it caused by the fiery look in Chris's eyes, and continued.

"Chris what are you talking about?"

Christopher narrowed his eyes, the fire still burning inside them, and sneered out his reply. "I'm not leaving that easy, Lor. I'm not leaving until I get what I want."

Lorelei thought that the best thing to do with a drunken Chris would be to reason with him, so she swallowed hard and tried her best. "And…and…what is that, Chris? More booze?" she suggested, trying her best to lighten the mood, which had suddenly become very uncomfortable.

However, her forced laughter only triggered more of the booze-burning madness that was happening inside of Chris's head. He walked up to Lorelei until he had her backed up against the wall in the foyer. She could feel his hot breath on her face and winced at the smell of alcohol on his breath. The look in his eyes had only intensified, and the combination of the two made her sick to her stomach. But her stomach was the last of her worries when she heard him speak:

"I want _you,_ Lorelei," he sneered, and a gasp escaped her throat right before he shoved his tongue down her throat. He stumbled into the kitchen, presumably to get more alcohol, leaving Lorelei with a hand covering her mouth and a mind swimming with thoughts. And surprisingly all of these thoughts had a similar theme. The only thing that she could process was that Chris had kissed her. He had kissed her and she knew that kiss. It was the kiss that he had used the night before Sookie's wedding before…_everything spun out of control_, she thought. She knew what that kiss led to.

However this was different than the night at the inn. She had been lonely that night, she had wanted things between herself and her daughter's father to work so badly that she had made herself believe that sleeping with him could somehow make things good again. However she had learned her lesson since the events following that night. What was different tonight was…_I don't want it. I really don't want it._

The clanging of glass in her kitchen brought her back to her present situation. She knew what Chris had planned, she knew she didn't want it, she didn't want him, she didn't want to put herself through it again. But she was scared. The amount of alcohol in Chris's bloodstream would make it hard for him to accept "no." She didn't think she could force him out on her own. She wasn't that strong, and he _really_ didn't want to leave. In about five minutes he was going to come back to where she was and expect things to go his way. This made her stomach twist in fear.

She had three people that were always there for her when she was afraid. Rory was in Washington, Sookie was with Jackson, so she did the only thing she knew to do. She picked up her cell phone (which was charging on the mail table), held in the number seven and put the phone to her ear. It had rang twice before she heard Chris stumble back into the room. She laid the phone down out of surprise, and had no sooner taken her hand off the phone than she felt hands around her waist and Chris' booze-drenched breath down her neck.

"Don't you remember that night, Lor?" he slurred. "The night before Sookie's weeding at the inn? Don't you remember how incredible…"

But Lorelei had had it with this drunken bastard who had stumbled uninvited into her house wanting back what they both knew he couldn't have. She pushed him away and whirled around to look him in the eye.

"Get away from me Christopher!" she yelled, hoping to break through his alcohol-drenched stupor. Her voice didn't seem to get through to him, but it did connect with another Y-chromosome bearer. Less than two miles away, Luke had answered the phone at the diner, and when no one had responded to his gruff greeting, he was about to hang up when he heard Lorelei's cry. He knew immediately who it was but he was confused. He hadn't spoken to her in weeks, plus, she wasn't talking to him. It was like the phone was off the hook and he was overhearing whatever was taking place at her house. He listened closer, trying to grasp what exactly was going on:

"_Like hell I'm going to leave here without getting what I want. I know you want me Lorelei, I know you want us to happen again." _Luke overheard a voice he couldn't quite place, but assumed that it was this "Christopher" that Lorelei had yelled out earlier. From somewhere deep in his memory he recalled that Christopher was the name of Rory's father and guessed that that scumbag and this guy were one and the same.

Lorelei's voice was incredulous, bordering on a scream. _"How can you even say that with a straight face, Christopher? You left us! Numerous times! You can't just come back here and expect us to just magically happen again! And at a time like this! Have you forgotten about Sherry?"_

"_But I don't love her Lorelei! I don't want to be with her!" _Luke almost felt bad for this guy, slurring like a drunken teenager, begging for her. At least _he_ had never done that. But who was Sherry? "_Don't act like you don't know," _the guy fumbled for his words. _"I want you, Lorelei. I love…"_

Luke heard a slapping noise. Apparently Lorelei had had enough of her drunken Romeo. _"Like hell you do,"_ he heard her say. She sounded as if she was bordering on tears. What the hell was going on here?

"_Fine then," _Luke heard the man sneer, rage was all that was evident in his tone. _"I'll prove it to you."_ Luke only had to hear the crash that ensued to understand all he needed to know. This wasn't some lover's spat. She was in trouble. He sometimes grew tired of always being relied on, getting nothing in return, but that didn't matter now. She had called him, even thought they hadn't spoke in weeks, clearly she needed him. Who was he to let her down now, when that bastard could really hurt her? The last thing he heard was Lorelei's cry of protest before he slammed down the receiver.

"Caesar, I'll be right back!" he yelled to the cook in the kitchen.

"Ok, boss!" Caesar yelled in response, but the bells had already rung, and Luke was halfway down the street.


	5. SuperLuke to the Rescue

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**P.P.S Thanks for all the amazing reviews and your incredible patience. This story has not been coming easy, and the craziness of finals has made it hard to find time. Now there over, so hopefully I can get this sucker done ASAP!**

**P.P.P.S Thanks to all who pointed out the error in the Spelling of Lorelai's name. I had no idea Microsoft Word automatically changes the "a" to an "e". apparently Bill Gates isn't friends with ASP. Or he's just a jerk… **

_Previously_: _She had called him, even thought they hadn't spoke in weeks, clearly she needed him. Who was he to let her down now, when that bastard could really hurt her? The last thing he heard was Lorelai's cry of protest before he slammed down the receiver._

"_Caesar, I'll be right back!" he yelled to the cook in the kitchen._

"_Ok, boss!" Caesar yelled in response, but the bells had already rung, and Luke was halfway down the street… _

Butch Danes had not been a track star in high school for nothing. He reached Lorelai's house in less than five minutes. When he reached her driveway he saw an unfamiliar motorcycle in the driveway. _Christopher's, _he thought. Looking up at the house, the sight he saw through the front window made him almost physically ill. The bastard had Lorelai up against the living room wall and was trying to kiss her and grope her with his right hand, made easier by the fact that he was pinning Lorelai's hands over her head with his left. Watching one of his best friends (not to mention the most beautiful woman he had ever known) be attacked like this brought out a side of Luke that few had ever seen. He hadn't felt rage like this in a very long time. His raw emotions took over and he ran up the steps to the front door and entered the house, slamming the door.

"What the…" The noise startled Chris and he dropped Lorelai's hands and removed his hand from under her shirt, whirling around. But no sooner has he completed his 180, than his face came in contact with Luke fist. The force of the blow knocked him down and he fell to the ground hitting his head on the coffee table. The combination of the two hits knocked him unconscious, and he lay motionless on the floor.

Staring down at the scumbag on the floor, the look of rage in Luke's eyes began to change. Realizing what he had done, he wondered if maybe he had made a mistake. What if he had misunderstood the conversation on the telephone? How would he explain this, knocking out the companion of a woman whom he hadn't had contact with in months? Fear evident on his face, he raised his indigo eyes to meet Lorelai's bright blue ones.

But he didn't see anger in her eyes; he didn't see disappointment or even disbelief. All he could see was amazement and thankfulness, both of which were covering thinly veiled fear. That was all he could decipher before she fell into his arms, into an embrace so tight, he thought they would crush each other.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, still holding her close, trying to ignore the smell of her hair.

Lorelai couldn't answer, she just started to shake in his arms. The tears were coming freely now; she was powerless to stop them, as much as she hated to cry in front of people, there was nothing she could do. They were caused by two things, one of them being the overwhelming flood of emotions that came with what had happened to her tonight. _Christopher attacked me, _she thought between sobs. _The first man I ever gave my heart to…_but she choked off those thoughts, not ready to deal with the entire situation just yet. But that wasn't the only reason she cried. She cried because of…_Luke,_ she thought. _I haven't seen him in weeks, he's supposed to hate me, and yet…I call and he's here for me, no questions, except to ask if I'm okay._

Luke realized that Lorelai wasn't ready to talk just yet. "Come on, let's get you up to bed," he said, starting to pull away from her embrace.

She stepped back as they pulled apart and wiped her face with the back of her hand, the wall was starting to go up. "Luke, wait…"

"What?"

She pointed down at Christopher, who was still lying on the floor, breathing mind you, but still out like a light. 'We need to do something about…him"

He took a deep breath, recalling the damage he had done in his maniacal state. "What do you want me to do with him?"

She sighed, rubbing her head. "I don't have a clue. We can't send him home, he's passed out and way too drunk to drive anyway." Luke eyebrows rose slightly at her last comment, as he still hadn't any real idea what had transpired tonight before his entrance. "But," she sighed, her voice shaking slightly, "I _really_ don't want him near me."

Luke nodded at her, concern evident in his eyes. "What about Rory's room? She's still in Washington, right?"

Lorelai nodded slightly, brow furrowed. "I can lock the door from the outside."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about him waking up anytime soon, though."

"I know, but I just…"

He hadn't meant to say it like that, disregarding what this asshole had done to her. So he looked deep in her eyes to prove it. "I know. I understand." And she knew that he did.

Lorelai tore herself away from his understanding gaze to go and get her keys, while Luke half-heartedly dragged Christopher to Rory's bedroom, not taking much care around doorways and walls. He tossed his now snoring body onto the bed, making sure he was on his side-_he is Rory's dad, after all-_ before shutting the door as he left. Lorelai turned the lock, and jiggled the handle just to be sure, before turning around to face Luke.

She heaved a big sigh, and Luke could see the fatigue in her eyes when she looked up at him.

"You should get some sleep," he offered, trying to stimulate what had become an awkward situation.

She nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah you're right. Goodnight Luke." But as she started to turn away and walk out to the living room and up the stairs, he saw the tears start to form in her eyes. It took him a few moments to process what was happening, but he was after her in no time at all. He caught up to her on the stairs and grabbed her wrist, causing her to whirl around.

"Lorelai, what the hell are you doing?"

She tried to ignore the tears in her eyes, tried to put on a brave face. "I'm going to bed, like you said. I am awfully tired. You must be too." She was babbling. "You should go to bed too, get some sleep, it is getting kind of late…"

But he cut her off. "Dammit Lorelai, don't do this!"

She tried to play innocent and failed miserably, her voice shaking. "Do what?"

He was mad now. "Put up this wall, pretend like nothing happened! You can't just ignore what went on here tonight, Lorelai, you can't just shake it off like it was nothing!" Luke was in rant mode. "God, Lorelai, you always do this! Every time you get hurt, you just go on like nothing ever happened! You never open up to anyone, not even Rory! Why the hell is that?"

"Because I can't do it, Luke!" She retaliated, voice slightly raised in anger. " I can't face it!"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't Luke, you don't understand," her voice trailed off as the tears finally came. "I have to be strong."

Luke softened his voice; the last thing he wanted to do was bring her pain. "You don't always have to be so strong, Lorelai."

She nodded through the tears, which were coming more rapidly now. "Oh yes I do," she replied.

He shook his head, lifting her chin so their eyes met. "No, you don't."

And she fell into his arms for the second time that night, crying harder than ever. He whispered words of comfort to her as he slowly lifted her up and carried her up the remaining flights of stairs to her bedroom. He laid her down on her bed, but she refused to let go of his neck, pulling him closer and whispering in his ear.

"Luke, will you stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone with him," she practically begged, shuddering at the thought of Christopher and how her perception of him had changed so much in such a short time.

He whispered back to her, taking a seat on the bed, bringing her back into his arms. "Of course I'll stay. I don't want you alone with him either. _Ever._"

She almost gasped aloud at his tone. It wasn't possessive, it wasn't jealous; it was just…out of genuine care for her well-being. _Of course it is, _she thought. _It's Luke._ And this thought hit her like a gut punch. She pulled back to look him in the eyes, this man who had come to her rescue, her knight in shining armor.

"Luke, why did you come tonight? I mean, we haven't spoken in weeks since…the accident."

Luke had moved over to the other side of the room and was starting to straighten up some blankets that were lying on the floor, a habit he had when he got nervous. "What do you mean? You called, you were in trouble. Who cares that we got in a fight what like, three weeks ago. What, I wasn't going to help you?"

_Simple as that, _she thought. _I needed him, he came. Incredible. _"No, of course not I just…" he looked up at her as she paused. His eyes on her had an amazing effect and her two last words came out in a voice that was no more than a whisper. "…Thank you."

He stared for what seemed to both of them like forever before he realized what he was doing and snapped out of it. "Well, it was no problem, you know. I mean the diner was practically empty and your house is like two feet away…"

"Luke…" she attempted to stop his rant with a soft voice.

"...Well maybe not two feet, that was an exaggeration…"

"Luke…" she said, voice growing in volume.

He finally snapped out of rant mode at the sharper tone of her voice. "Yeah?"

"You know what I meant, right?" the questioning look in her eyes was that of a child, unsure of herself, like she was answering a question in class and didn't want to look stupid.

But he understood completely. "Yeah. I got it."

The full force of her thanks hit both of them like a ton of bricks and caused their eyes to lock once again. It was him who snapped out of it first again, and embarrassed, he turned for the door.

"Luke, where are you going?" _I thought he was going to stay. Is he not staying?_

"Oh, I thought I would sleep on the couch. You know, I can keep an eye on Rory's room from there."

_God, he thinks of everything. But that's not where I want him. I mean, I just don't want to be alone up here…right? _ "Oh yeah. That's fine."

"Ok, I guess I'll see you in the morning. I'll uh, get rid of him in the morning, so you don't have to see him. And I'll make you breakfast," he assured her.

"Um, yeah…" she swallowed. "Sounds good. Thanks again."

He looked straight at her this time. "It was nothing."

Had she any feeling left from his paralyzing stare, she would have said something back. But before she could collect herself, he was out the door and down the stairs. Lorelai flopped down against her pillow, millions of thoughts swimming in her pretty little head. Meanwhile Luke was making himself comfortable on the couch, one eye on Rory's door, half-exhausted and half-fighting the urge to run into the room and pummel the bastard who had almost hurt…_her._

Yep, no one was going to get much sleep tonight. Except maybe Chris.


	6. In the Middle of the Night

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**P.P.S Thanks again for all the great reviews! They are so good for my ego… Sorry this chapter took so long…School's done for the summer so hopefully I'll be able to appease all my adoring fans and get Luke and Lorelai together FAST!**

Chapter Six:

_Previously: Lorelai flopped down against her pillow, millions of thoughts swimming in her pretty little head. Meanwhile Luke was making himself comfortable on the couch, one eye on Rory's door, half-exhausted and half-fighting the urge to run into the room and pummel the bastard who had almost hurt…her._

_Yep, no one was going to get much sleep tonight. Except maybe Chris. _

2:22 a.m.

Luke awoke with a start, unaware that he had even fallen asleep. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. He jumped up and checked Rory's door. It was still locked, but his gut wasn't convinced. He grabbed Lorelai's keys off the counter, unlocked the door and saw…Christopher snoring like a trucker wrapped up in Rory's pink sheets. _So appropriate for that pussy, _Luke sneered, half of his brain desperately wanting to throw chris through the window out into the cold night, _he doesn't deserve her bed to sleep in._ But he controlled himself, backed out of the room, locked the door and went back to the couch, something in his gut still not feeling right.

As he sat down on his "perfectly-smushed" pillows he heard something from upstairs. A muffled sound, something he knew he probably wasn't supposed to hear. He climbed up the stairs to the landing, listening intently into the darkness. A few seconds later, he heard it again, a sound that could only be described as a sob. Luke sighed, _I don't know if I can watch her do this again._ He briefly contemplated going back to the couch and pretending he hadn't heard it. He heaved a big sigh-_Yeah right, like I would do that to her_- and started up the stairs.

By the time he reached her bedroom both the frequency of the sobs and the ache in his heart had increased dramatically. He took a deep breath, collected all his courage (and self-restraint, though he would never admit it) and knocked lightly on the door.

"Lorelai?" He turned the doorknob and opened the door. What he saw ripped his heart into pieces. She was lying on her side facing the opposite wall, shoulder shaking with tears. Even though she wasn't facing him, he knew what her face looked like with tears streaming down it. He had already seen it twice tonight. _She doesn't deserve this, _his unspoken affection increased ten-fold at the sight of her. It must have been the swell of affection that took over his brain because at that moment, Luke Danes did something that he would never do under normal circumstances. He crawled into bed with Lorelai Gilmore. Normally this would be considered a romantic act, but ironically the thought never crossed Luke's mind (well maybe it did, but only briefly, very quickly, like warp speed). He knew his reason for being there: _She needs me. _

Luke pulled her close and her tears increased at the thought of who was coming to her rescue once again. And once again, she let her walls come tumbling down and let him know what was really on her mind.

"Luke, what am I going to tell Rory?" Her voice broke and he understood the painful thoughts she was having. Truth was, he had no idea what _they_ were going to tell Rory. So, he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled her close and pressed a kiss into her mussed hair. He noticed for a second the sobbing stopped, and (though she would never admit it) her breath caught in her throat.

"We'll deal with everything in the morning, for right now, just try and get some sleep."

It _had _been a long night. She nodded her response, nestled closer to her protector, and just before she drifted off to sleep, had one last conscious thought. _He said "we" not "you" or "I." _For once in her life, Lorelai Gilmore had a partner. Well, a partner that wasn't related to her, at least.

**A/N: I know it's short, you have to bear with me. It needed to be done, and it didn't need to be drawn out. Trust me, the good stuff is coming.**


	7. Run Away and Die, Little Jerk

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**P.P.S Thanks again for all the great reviews! Sorry the last chapter was so short. I'm gonna get them together soon, I promise. I have to, otherwise some of you are going to hunt me down!**

_Previously:_

"_We'll deal with everything in the morning, for right now, just try and get some sleep."_

_It had been a long night. She nodded her response, nestled closer to her protector, and just before she drifted off to sleep, had one last conscious thought. He said "we" not "you" or "I." For once in her life, Lorelai Gilmore had a partner. Well, a partner that wasn't related to her, at least._

Luke awoke for the second time, but the light streaming in through the windows alerted him to the fact that it was no longer night, it was morning. _Wait a second, those aren't my curtains or windows, this isn't my bed!_ Then he remembered the events of last night and shuddered at the though of something happening to the object of beauty he was currently holding. After recalling the terrifying reasons that he was currently in bed that wasn't his own holding _Lorelai_, he calmed down gave a sigh of relief that she was sleeping soundly and okay. Glancing at the clock he saw that almost five hours had passed since Lorelai's mid-night breakdown. _At least she got some sleep, _he thought, relieved. Then he heard it. A noise from somewhere in the house, somewhere downstairs, a noise that sounded like…_a doorknob jiggling._ Guess he wasn't the only one awake. _I should take care of this before she wakes up, _he thought. _I don't want her to have to see him or deal with it until she's ready._

Heaving a sigh of disappointment that he had to leave this nest and this woman, he began to untangle himself from her. She moaned as he got up at the loss of her life-size teddy bear and it was all he could do not to jump back into bed with her. _So not the time, Danes, _he mentally scolded himself and went down stairs to deal with "Christopher".

He reached the bottom of the stairs in a few steps, grabbed the keys from off the coffee table where he had tossed them last night and went to Rory's door. The pounding had increased in volume and now the idiot was yelling, like that was going to unlock the door.

"Lorelai! Let me out, I know we can talk about this! I'm sorry for last night! You have to know that I mean it! I was just really drunk and…" Luke opened the door and the force with which Chris had been pounding landed him on the floor right in front of Luke's feet. Luke suppressed a chuckle at just how idiotic this guy was. And this idiocy was all before he spoke again.

"Who the hell are you?" Chris questioned accusingly as he brushed his jacket and his ego off and stood up.

Luke looked baffled. "Who am I? You honestly don't remember?"

Chris narrowed his eyebrows with an air of superiority that he had acquired through his years of training to be a proper gentleman. "Aren't you the diner guy? What the hell are you doing…"

Luke grew tired of the idiot's babbling and held up his fist to silence him. "This ring any bells?"

Chris's eyes grew wide. "That was you? You asshole!" He lunged at Luke, but before he could do any damage, Luke grabbed both of his arms, twisted them behind his back with little difficulty, and started to walk him towards the door.

"You know as pleasant as your little visit's been, I think it's time for you to leave now."

But apparently Chris didn't know what was good for him. "I'm not going until I talk to Lorelai!" He tried to struggle away, but Luke got a good hold on him and kept forcing him towards the door.

"She's sleeping idiot, she's a little worn out from last night, thanks to you. Plus, do you really think she wants to talk to you after what you tried to do to her last night?"

But Chris wasn't going to take no for an answer. "I just need to talk to her! I need to tell her I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything I did last night! I…I love her!"

These three little words hit a soft spot with Luke, especially knowing who they were in reference to. He had been pretty gentle up until now, trying to just ease Chris out of the house and protect Lorelai from any more pain. But now he had reached a breaking point. He shoved Chris up against a wall, and stared right into his eyes.

"What the hell did you say?"

Christopher sneered, sensing he had hit a sensitive spot with this otherwise gruff man. "I said I love her. I love Lorelai."

Luke couldn't take it anymore. He shoved Chris up a little higher on the wall. "Like hell you do. I know what I saw last night. If you loved her at all, if you even remotely _liked _her, you would have never even considered doing what you did, you scumbag. You wouldn't know love if it came up and bit you in your ass."

"Oh yeah? Well then why don't you school me a little bit, Luke?" Sarcasm dripped off Christopher's slimy tongue as he sneered at the diner man. "Do you think you love her? Is that what this is all about? You just act like her little puppy dog, hoping one day she'll notice you?" He chuckled to himself mid-diatribe. "It's never gonna happen man. She'll always be hung up on me. No matter how many guys she sleeps with, she thinks we belong together. She wants us together. She always will…"

Luke couldn't stand it. He dropped his hold on Chris and slugged him again across the face. It wasn't as hard a hit as the night before, but it _was_ Luke and it was pretty powerful. Chris doubled over in pain. As he stood, touching a finger to where his lip was now bleeding, his eyes got wide at the look he saw in Luke's. This guy meant business.

"Get out. Now."

But Chris was nothing if not idiotically persistent. "But..."

Luke roared now, forgetting that there was a sleeping person in the house. He was going to kill this asshole if he didn't leave soon. And he didn't want to be arrested. "Get the hell out of this house!"

Chris gave up the fight. This guy _could_ kill him, and he looked like he wanted to. So he did what he did best. He ran out the door and drove away. As soon as the door was shut, Luke heaved a huge sigh of relief that the guy was finally gone.

As he turned to go into the kitchen to make Lorelai breakfast, he heard a noise from the stairs. He whirled around and saw on the stairs, eyes as wide as dinner plates and filled with tears, mouth agape…

"Lorelai?" _Oh shit._


	8. Thank God for Billy Budd

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**P.P.S Thanks again for all the great reviews! Sorry the last chapter was so short. I'm gonna get them together soon, I promise. I have to, otherwise some of you are going to hunt me down!**

Lorelai had awaked minutes after Luke had gone downstairs and had started down the stairs after him, when she heard him talking to Christopher. Their conversation had stopped her dead in her tracks. Lorelai had expected that Luke would let Chris have it when he was fully conscious, but she was definitely not prepared for what she heard:

"What the hell did you say?" _That's right Luke, let him have it! Hell, punch him again, see if I care!_

Christopher's response to the question made her stomach turn. "I said I love her. I love Lorelai." _How dare you say that, you pathetic ass? Like hell you do. _

"Like hell you do." _Whoa, freaky. _" I know what I saw last night. If you loved her at all, if you even remotely _liked _her, you would have never even considered doing what you did, you scumbag. You wouldn't know love if it came up and bit you in your ass."

It was somewhere around this time that Lorelai started to cry. _Here we go again, _she thought, frustrated and tired of tears. She wasn't sure what drove her over the edge this time. Perhaps it was the emotions of last night coming back to haunt her. Perhaps it was the outpouring of her heart to this man who had come to her rescue so many times in the past, but never to this extent. _He really went above and beyond this time, _she thought, amazed. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she mentally scolded herself for being so surprised. _Why would you think he wouldn't? He always has. He always will…? _However, before she could connect these thought any further, she was snapped out of her reverie by Chris's slimy voice.

"Oh yeah? Well then why don't you school me a little bit, Luke? Do you think you love her? Is that what this is all about? You just act like her little puppy dog, hoping one day she'll notice you? It's never gonna happen man. She'll always be hung up on me. No matter how many guys she sleeps with, she thinks we belong together. She wants us together. She always will…"

Lorelai's tears intensified at this point. How could she ever have had feeling for this dirtball? He was, quite possibly the cruelest person she knew, he was even taking that trophy from her mother at this point. And the way he was talking to Luke, when Lorelai heard what she could only assume was Luke punching Chris, she felt only relief. _Give him what he deserves, Luke. _

"Get out. Now."

_God, Luke is amazing isn't he? _That was the thought passing through her head when Luke turned around to see her standing on the stairs.

"Lorelai?"

Lorelai just stood in shock at the thoughts that were currently racing through her head about the man that was standing no further than ten feet from her face. Not that she hadn't had these thoughts before. It was just…_this is different, _she thought. _This isn't speculation anymore, this is possibility. _ Luke wasn't quite sure what to make of her current state. He didn't know why she wasn't moving.

"Lorelai? Are you okay?"

His deep voice brought her back to reality, where she stammered a response, trying to act normal.

"Um…uh yeah, definitely. I'm great."

He smirked a little at her stammer, but he was also still concerned. "You're lying to me. How much of that did you hear?" he asked, worried that she might be mad at the way he had treated Chris.

She shook her head, somehow knowing what he was thinking. "Luke, I heard all of it, but don't worry. I couldn't have handled it better myself." She smiled, sincerely. "Thank you."

Luke held her gaze for a minute, but then looked at his feet. "Well you probably wouldn't have punched him in the face," he said sheepishly.

She smiled again. "Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I didn't want to, there, Billy Budd." She laughed at he own joke, but quickly noticed that Luke was still staring at his boots. "Luke, no offense but do you have some kind of shoe fetish?"

Luke's head snapped up with a confused look on his face. " What? What the heck are you talking about?"

Lorelai giggled. "I just meant that your shoes seem to be uh, very fascinating there. Or at least more fascinating than me or the rest of the world around you."

Luke began to stammer, covering up anything that could be considered emotion, making the system all the more awkward. "No, I uh, just…"

Lorelai frowned at his stuttering, knowing that something wasn't right. "Luke, what's wrong?"

Luke looked up at her, deciding to be honest about his feelings. _For once, _he thought. "Him."

Lorelai took a breath in, preparing herself for the conversation she _knew_ was inevitable. "Chris?"

"Yeah. He just…I don't know he got to me. All that stuff he said about you, and about…" He took a deep breath and sighed. "…Us. I don't know Lorelai, I mean, I didn't want to let him get to me…"

She couldn't take watching him this upset. "I know Luke, believe me. He's a scumbag, and I hate that he got to you like that. I hate that he did this, but you have to know, he was telling lies. None of what he said was true…"

She paused, not quite knowing how to continue without going too far. He picked it right up though; he was already in rant mode. "But it _was, _Lorelai, that's what kills me!"

She felt her stomach turn again. "What? No it wasn't Luke! I don't want him. I mean yes, there was a time when I thought that us being together would be the best thing for us and for Rory, that we could actually be a real family in every disgustingly sappy connotation of the word. But not now Luke! He abandoned us yet again, and I see now that that life is not the one I want. At least not with him."

Luke furrowed his brow at her last statement, but continued on in rant mode. "That's not what I meant, Lorelai. All that stuff about me. That I'm you're little puppy dog. He's absolutely right. I mean, there is no one else in town that I would just drop everything to go and help…"

She got mad now. He was just throwing everything back in her face, everything that she had ever felt guilty for in their relationship, and she wasn't going to stand for it. So she cut in. "You think I don't know that, Luke! You think I don't know that you are the best guy in the world to Rory and me. You always have been! And there is nothing that I could ever do to show you how grateful we are, and that kills me!"

He stared at her with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?"

And somehow, something in his stare told her what she needed to know. All those thoughts that were flying around in her head clicked together like a puzzle. And she knew what she had to do. So she closed the gap between them, and she kissed him. Seemingly simple enough, but the second their lips meant, Lorelai wished for a second that she was in a cartoon, so she could see the sparks and stars and hearts that would've been circling them as Luke gave in to what he had wanted for years. It was incredible; it was the best kiss of Lorelai's life, for about five seconds. Then, all of a sudden, Luke's brain woke up and he pulled away.

"Luke," Lorelai whispered, eyes still closed, as he pulled away from her.

He stared at what he was giving up for a second before he spoke. "No, Lorelai. You don't mean this."

And just like that, he was gone. Out the door and down the street, leaving Lorelai alone with her thoughts, which immediately bean trying to process what just, happened. And for once in her life, Lorelai Gilmore knew how it felt when someone ran from you. Someone other than Chris, that is.


	9. Catalysts, Fight Club, and the Lword

**Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.**

**A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"**

**P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.**

**P.P.S Thanks again for all the great reviews! I love all of you who have been so great in reading and reviewing this fic! I'm hoping that this is going to be the last chapter, b/c I'm going away for awhile, so I hope to get it done before then. But I could definitely use your help because I'm worried about how I'm going to end it. Try this on:**

_Previously:_

And just like that, he was gone. Out the door and down the street, leaving Lorelai alone with her thoughts, which immediately bean trying to process what just, happened. And for once in her life, Lorelai Gilmore knew how it felt when someone ran from you. Someone other than Chris, that is.

Lorelai needed to sit down. She needed to process everything that had happened over the past 12 hours or so. She needed to talk to someone, but she knew Sookie would be too excited about the kiss to process everything thoroughly, and she didn't want Rory to be worrying about her eternally confused mother when she needed to focus on the goings-on in Washington. So she just thought for while.

She knew her situation was similar to that of people she had run away from before. But the apparent difference between Lorelai and those she had left behind in the past was that she was stubborn. She had realized, after all this time, what she wanted. She wanted Luke, and she wasn't going to let him run like she had run from others. But she also knew he didn't believe her or her feelings and she knew maybe he should have been nick-named Speedy Gonzales for the way he ran out after they kissed.

_God, that was a hell of a kiss, _she thought to herself. But she knew that that wasn't the only reason she wanted Luke, it wasn't only for the physical attraction, for the release of years of sexual tension. He was her Superman, her fix-it guy, her shoulder to cry on. He was everything she had ever wanted in a partner and she mentally kicked herself for taking this long to realize it. _Well, what are you going to do about it, Gilmore? _ She answered herself without words as she grabbed her coat off the hook in the foyer and headed to the diner.

Meanwhile at the diner, Luke was a mess. Ever since he had returned from Lorelai's that morning, nothing had gone right. Food was burnt, customers were thrown out, dishes were broken. Everyone could see that he was distracted, but no one dared to ask what was wrong. But they were watching. Miss Patty noticed that every time the bell rang, Luke looked up expectantly. Taylor noticed that Lorelai wasn't in for coffee at all that day. And Babette noticed that Luke's flannel looked a little rumpled that day. Not that flannel ever looks crisp, mind you; it just looked a little…_mussed, _she thought.

Now, had they put their observations together, they might have come up with something. But the normal busybodies of Stars Hollow were quiet inside Luke's Diner that day, perhaps for fear of incurring the wrath of the proprietor if they annoyed him. They didn't especially feel like being tossed out of the diner on their asses, so they kept to themselves. That is until Luke broke the plate with Taylor's order on it.

"Alright Luke, what's going on?" Taylor was infuriated and nosy, not a good combination for the town selectman.

But unfortunately for Taylor, the only person that had a temper surpassing his was on the other end of the argument. "What the hell are you talking about Taylor?"

Taylor retorted, offended at the tone this flannel-clad Lone ranger had taken with him. "Well you've been skulking around here all day in a terrible mood, worse than usual I might add…"

"You might." Luke muttered, picking up the pieces of the plate that littered his floor.

Taylor continued on his diatribe. "Your service is even less friendly, your food tastes terrible, and that is the sixteenth dish you've dropped this hour…"

Luke had had enough. Of Taylor and his sweater. "Then why don't you just leave, Taylor! If everything here sucks that bad, why don't you just pack up and go! In fact, why don't all of you just get the hell out! I've had about enough of…" he stopped mid-sentence at the exact same time the bell rang, announcing someone's arrival into what was quickly becoming Fight Club. The entire diner turned to see who had been able to hit the "pause" button on Diatribe Luke (now with realistic jaw-moving action). Miss Patty had a feeling that this was whom he'd been waiting for (in more than one sense). Taylor sat, satisfied that he had won for now.

Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks when all eyes turned on her. She and Luke stood absolutely still for what seemed to the rest of the diner like hours. Finally she managed some words. "Luke," she almost whispered, surprising herself at how timid she suddenly was. "I need to talk to you."

He gazed for a minute longer, before turning away to throw the rest of Taylor's plate. "I don't need to talk," he mumbled stubbornly.

Her brow furrowed in frustration. "Well good, because you won't have to say anything. You'll just have to have your ears open. Which, when you think about it, is how they always are. I mean it's not as if you have an ear flap that you could close them or anything…"

During her rambling, Luke had been at the coffee machine. Now he turned and placed a to-go cup in front of her, tired of the talking and avoiding the situation. "Here's your coffee. Everything working at your house?"

Lorelai paused, confused. "Yes…"

Luke glared at her. "Then we have nothing to talk about."

Luke didn't realize that the entire diner was watching this soap opera unfold in front of their eyes, or maybe he wouldn't have been so harsh. _Hey, what goes around comes around, _his brain said, still reeling form this morning. _Shut up, asshole, _said his heart, which was breaking at the sight of her tearing up out of hurt and anger. She finally spoke in a low, broken tone. "You know that's not what I'm talking about."

But Luke's brain was still winning the never-ending struggle and he brushed it off. "Lorelai, I don't know what you're talking about…"

Lorelai snapped, practically running behind the counter and grabbing his armed, dragging him into the storeroom, where she accosted him in an angry whisper. "You know, I get that you don't like me right now, but the least you could do is talk to me!"

Luke shrugged, still trying to preserve some shred of dignity he felt Chris had greatly endangered this morning. "I thought you said I wouldn't have to talk, just listen. Something about earflaps."

Now Lorelai was furious. "Where the hell do you come off being angry at me, anyway? You were the one who ran off this morning, remember?"

Luke snapped back. "I didn't want to give you a chance to say it was a mistake, Lorelai!"

That stab in her heart only made Lorelai's anger increase. "I don't know if you were there, Luke, but I kissed you! Why in the hell would I say it was a mistake?"

Luke paused for a moment, remembering the kiss, and then remembering the reason he had pulled away. "You were emotional, Lorelai! A lot happened and when people get emotional, they say and do stuff that you don't mean! For you, apparently it was kissing me!"

"God, Luke! You're such a hypocrite! One minute, you're telling Chris that he doesn't know what love is and the next you're running away from it!" As soon as she finished her sentence, she clasped a hand over her mouth, realizing what she had just said.

Luke had stopped dead in his tracks. He turned slowly to face her, not quite believing what he thought he had just heard. "What did you just say?" he asked, in a voice softer than his earlier tone.

At a loss for words, staring at him, Lorelai did the only thing she could think to do. She grabbed him by the collar of his flannel pulled him close, and kissed him with everything she had in her. Before he even had a chance to react, she had pulled away, breathing heavily and staring into his eyes. "Tell me you don't feel anything in that, Luke."

He turned his head away, still in disbelief, partially at what he was about to say. "You know I can't say that Lorelai. But…"

She smiled nervously. "'But'? What 'but'? Luke, there doesn't have to be a 'but', does there?"

He sighed. "Why now, Lorelai? I don't want you to be doing this for the wrong reasons…"

She took a deep breath. "What happened with Christopher has nothing to do with this, Luke. Yes it was a catalyst, and not a very pleasant one, but apparently that situation was what I needed to make me see…"

"See what?"

She looked deep into his eyes. "See you Luke. See how great you've always been to Rory and me. See all the things you've done for us. See how you would drop anything to help us when we were in trouble. See what the whole town has been telling me all these years. But most of all, see what was in my heart."

He smiled a little, somehow knowing where this was going. "And what was that?"

She smiled too, mostly at him and the look in his eyes that told her that she had nothing to fear here, everything was going to be okay. _He's always had that look, _something deep inside her said knowingly. "I want to be with you, Luke. I want…"

But Luke was never much for words. That was all he needed to hear before he lifted her into his arms for another mind-blowing kiss. And as they kissed, somewhere off in the distance, they heard a diner full of happy, albeit _nosy and eavesdropping¸_ townspeople celebrating.

**A/N: End?**


End file.
